Quite a few Diablo fans were hoping for a Paladin or something similar, but with the Spiritborn, Blizzard is taking a different approach in the upcoming expansion to Diablo IV. The new class has now been presented in more detail.
On October 8th, Vessel of Hatred, the first expansion to Diablo IV, will be released and, as hoped, it will include a new class – the Spiritborn. Live streams
The Spiritborn draws on spiritual guardian creatures that give it its powers. These are jaguars, gorillas, centipedes and eagles. The guardian creatures’ powers vary, although the Spiritborn is fundamentally based on skill. The Spiritborn is supposed to be the fastest and most aggressive class to date and will rely heavily on martial arts moves.
The Jaguar is obviously all about agility, area attacks and speed. The Gorilla is, as you might expect, designed as a tank and brings stronger defense and damage resistance. The Eagle is dedicated to precise long-range attacks and quick position changes, and the Centipede uses poison damage and crowd control skills, but also drains enemies of their life. The four skill trees can be mixed as desired to create a hybrid build, but you can also concentrate on a spirit.
A new class mechanic called Spirit Hall, where you set a spirit guardian as your primary bonus, should give you additional advantages. Especially because you can gradually unlock three more elements. The bonus is then simply applied to all skills, regardless of which spirit. The new class naturally also starts with new uniques and legendaries that are tailored specifically to it and improve both spirits and individual skills.
Detailed descriptions of the new class including skills, items and examples can be found on the official website. Now all that remains is the trailer: